Marvel Comics: Prosperity
by Tim Burns
Summary: [Complete] The introductory story of a divergent Marvel Universe that serves as the setting for an RPG campaign. The Marvel heroes are undergoing a time of great success. But how long will it last?
1. Chapter 1

Heroclix RPSC—Marvel Comics: Prosperity

**A word of introduction before the story begins. If you're wondering what this story is about, it's a tie-in to the Role-Playing Strategy Campaign I have going on at Essentially, it's the first step in shaping the world of an RPG set in the Marvel Universe. However, here on , it won't be presented as an RPG, but simply as a story for you to enjoy.**

**The other thing is that I apologize in advance, because oftentimes I find myself deficient in the knowledge of certain characters and histories. I'm going to essentially be writing the entire Marvel and DC universes, and honestly, I don't know everything about every character there. So, if I get some stuff wrong, remember that I am doing my best, and also that, to some degree, I'm redefining these universes for the sake of the game.**

**So with that said, on to the story.**

Marvel Comics: Prosperity—Chapter 1

_A year and a half ago…_

"Gentlemen, we live in an enlightened age. An age where knowledge, information, and previously unbelievable technological advances are right at our fingertips. All we have to do is reach out and seize them. That's why, here at Stark Industries, we are staunchly dedicated to pushing the envelope of technological research. And we're moving ahead by leaps and bounds. My micro-transistors revolutionized modern weaponry a few years ago, but that was just the beginning. There is so much for you to see here today, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to push you all off on my Vice President of Research and Development, who will give you the full details on all the projects slated for release very soon. And I'm sure that you, the top shareholders in Stark Industries, are going to like what you see. So, with that, my Vice President of R & D, Jarrett Milford." The stockholders applauded politely as the other man stepped to the podium, and Tony Stark made his way out of the room. As he did, he looked down at his belt and realized his cell phone was ringing. "Looks like I made it out just in time," he said, as he flipped his phone open. "Anthony Stark."

"Tony, this is Hank Pym."

"Henry," Stark said uneasily, suspecting what was coming next.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask for Iron Man's services again, Tony."

"What's the trouble?"

"I have reason to believe that there are a troop of Skrulls are in the area. As you know, it's gonna take more than Giant Man to stop them."

"Will Thor be there?"

"He has a way of appearing at the right time."

"Right. Well, I'll let Iron Man know, and he'll be there ASAP."

"Thanks, Tony."

Tony Stark hung up the phone and then went to the door of his office, locking it. He took off his blazer and shirt, revealing a gold-colored metal chestplate. Quickly removing the rest of his business suit, Tony changed from Anthony Stark, businessman, to Iron Man, golden crusader of justice. "Their ability to shape-shift makes the Skrull Empire a very powerful force. Henry Pym was right that Giant Man couldn't stop them. I probably couldn't even stop them myself; I wonder if even the mighty Thor would be able to take them on alone. No, it'll take all three of us."

* * *

The Silver Surfer breathed deeply as he flew through the atmosphere. The air on Earth wasn't as pure or as sweet as it was on Zenn La, but it was still nice to be on a planet again. The Surfer smiled ironically, knowing that in a short time he would be longing for the cool, comforting silence of space once again. He enjoyed spending time in a planet's atmosphere, but not forever.

Forever. The length of his sentence here on Earth. As long as the Silver Surfer should exist; a very, very long time. The Surfer spun and twisted in the air, feeling the air flow around and over his inhuman flesh. He would simply have to get used to his imprisonment. It was practical, after all. He had become Galactus' herald to save his home, and Galactus had left him here on Earth because of his act of rebellion to save this planet. In some ways, it wasn't that much different from Zenn La. But in so many ways, the people here were so barbaric.

Yes, he had joined Galactus to save his planet, but did he not also do it because he was tired of his life there? Did he not thirst for adventure? He had found it as the herald of Galactus, but he held the title no longer. Perhaps, though, perhaps there was some adventure to be found on this gleaming wilderness of Earth. The Surfer had to find it, he realized, or he would be driven mad.

* * *

"Erik, why won't you listen to me? Why can't you understand?" Charles Xavier asked as he hung suspended in midair, a bulky helmet placed over his head to keep him from using his mental powers.

"You're the one who fails to understand, Charles," Magneto answered. "War is the only way. How many times have we debated this, Charles? It always ends the same way. You, you who claim pacifism, fight against me in a foolish attempt to prove the truth of your ideology. Look at yourself! Your own followers prove that struggle is the only means of survival. There is no other way, Charles."

"No, Eric! My students, my X-Men, are heroes. Every day they prove to humans that mutants need not be hated or feared. We are winning!"  
"One false move is all it will take, Charles. I tried your way, once. All it takes is one false step, and they will never look at you, or your students, the same way again. You're a fool to try to preserve the façade."

Magneto spun around at the sound of an explosion behind him. The door to his room had been blown open, and standing in the empty space were Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, the Angel, and Marvel Girl.

"Professor!" Cyclops said, "Are you okay?"

"Cyclops," the Professor replied. "Thank goodness you've come."

"Take a good look of them, Charles," Magneto said, smiling. "So destructive. Are we really so different?"

"I'll show you how different we are, Magneto," Cyclops retorted. "X-Men, let's get him!"

Marvel Girl gestured, lifting a section of the rubble with her TK powers, and sent it at Magneto.

"Your powers are nothing compared to mine!" Magneto said, lifting up his desk to block the attack. "Did you wonder why everything in this room is made of metal?" The attack avoided, Magneto hurled the desk forward at the X-Men, who scattered. "My Brotherhood, join me!"

At the sound of Magneto's rallying call, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Toad, and Pyro came into the room. Instantly, Beast leapt toward them, knocking down the Scarlet Witch with a kick from his huge foot.

"We can't have you casting any spells on us, now can we?"  
"Leave my sister alone!" Quicksilver answered, hitting Beast at superspeed. Cyclops tried to follow Quicksilver with his optic blast, but missed. In his concentration, he failed to see a metal chair flying at him. He flew back into the wall and fell. The Angel dove low to check on him, and was met with a blast of flame from Pyro. Iceman crouched in a corner behind an ice shield while Beast tried to catch Quicksilver, who continued to harass him with his high-speed attacks.

"Your X-Men will soon be defeated, Charles."

"If you think they can be so easily brought down, Erik, you are very much mistaken…"


	2. Chapter 2

Marvel Comics: Prosperity—Chapter 2

Iron Man stood with Giant Man, the Wasp, and Thor.

"The Skrulls are in there," Giant Man explained. "Iron Man, can your sensors locate any Skrulls that are in disguise?"

"I can try, but it was built for human physiology. I can only get about fifty percent accuracy at best."

"That'll have to be enough. The Wasp and I will shrink down to ant-size, so they won't know we're there until we're ready to let 'em know, got it?"

"So Thor and I will take the brunt of it and then you surprise them?"

"Right," Giant Man answered, taking a pill that made him instantly shrink down to microscopic size.

"They shall yield to Thor Odinson!"

"Let's hope you're right. Those Skrulls can get pretty nasty if we don't take them down quick." Iron Man blew the door open with his repulsor, and saw two Skrulls sitting at a table in the middle of a fully-furnished room.

"Only two?" Thor asked.

"My instruments are telling me there are more here. I can't tell if there in another room, or if they're in disguise here."

"That can be answered quickly enough, Earthling," one of the aliens responded. "Skrulls, attack!" Suddenly every piece of furniture in the room changed, and Iron Man and Thor found themselves surrounded by an army of Skrull warriors.

* * *

"Alright, Electro," Spider-Man said, as he dodged another bolt from the supervillain, "If you make one more joke about your electric personality, I'm gonna get really angry! That's why we leave the jokes to me, and foolhardy attempts at crime to you." Spidey winced as one of Electro's attacks came too close. "You're getting better, Electro; a little more practice and you'd make a great telephone line." As he dodged, Spidey fingered the trigger of his web shooter. He had formulated a special batch of web fluid that would insulate the villain's electrical powers, but with Electro's non-stop barrage, Spidey hadn't been able to get a decent shot off.

Suddenly, a billy-club flew out of the air at hit Electro in the face.

"What the—" Electro asked, turning around to see the yellow-and-red clad Daredevil flying toward him in a jump kick. Daredevil fell back with a groan as soon as he made contact with the villain. Electro laughed, but his reverie was cut off as he felt Spider-Man's webs enmeshing him.

"Now, now, now," Spidey said, wagging his finger. "Come on, Max, you know I don't like to be ignored."

"Hey! Daredevil said, his supersenses catching the sound of two men running away. "Electro's henchmen."  
"They've got the jewels he tried to steal!" Spidey said, shooting out a web to swing off in pursuit.

"I got 'em," Daredevil said confidently, running into an alley. With his radar sense, he could see that they were there in the alley, and were trying to hide. "No one can hide from Daredevil," he said, throwing a kick at one thug. The other one came out then, swinging a switchblade. Daredevil jumped back, barely dodging the knife as Spider-Man arrived and disarmed the man.

"Nice teamwork, DD," Spider-Man said, and then swung away.

* * *

"Cyclops!" The Professor yelled, worried that Scott had been killed by the blow from the metal chair.

"It's okay, Prof. It…only stunned me," Cyclops answered slowly, struggling to get up. "I'll be okay."

"Look out!"  
"I'm ready this time," Cyclops said, as he fired an optic blast at the metal object flying toward him. The blast hit it at an angle, causing it to change direction and miss him. "Now, let's get you out of there, Prof." Scott fired another optic blast that hit the helmet obstructing the Professor's telepathic power. The helmet shattered and fell off of Xavier.

"Professor," the Beast began, still trying to catch up to Quicksilver. "Perhaps you could offer me some assistance."

"Of course, Beast." The Professor put his hands to his temples, and a moment later, Quicksilver ground to a stop, gritting his teeth as if he were struggling to move. Beast didn't waste any time in slamming the halted speedster to the ground.

"Two down," Beast exclaimed, "And both complements of yours truly."

"You forgot one!" Beast heard, just before a long slimy tongue flew toward him, and hit the wall just inches away.

"You missed." Beast said, but saw his error as Toad swung in, and slammed Beast with both feet. Beast fell back. "You sure pack a wallop for one so small, friend," Beast grimaced, as Toad hopped away.

Cyclops kept Magneto occupied by hurling optic blasts at him to make him go on the defensive. Iceman threw all he had at Pyro, who replied with an equally strong wave of fire. The two combatants seemed to be deadlocked, until Marvel Girl used her telekinesis to throw a lamp at Pyro, knocking him down. Toad attempted to execute the same maneuver on Iceman that had worked against Beast, but just as his sticky tongue was about to hit the wall, Iceman held up a sheet of ice, and caught him on it. Iceman pulled, yanking Toad toward him, and finished him off with a punch.

"It's over, Erik," Charles Xavier said when the dust cleared, as Magneto sank to the ground in surrender.

* * *

"Scientific Journal of Bruce Banner," the scientist said, sitting down as he talked into the recorder. "Twenty-third entry on this subject.

"I can't control it anymore. I can feel it. For months, I've been turning into this hideous monster, the Hulk. Incredible, powerful, terrifying, however you might describe the thing, the fact is that I've been…metamorphosing into this thing at certain times for quite a while now. The problem is that up until now, I've been able to keep it under control, to a point. The monster has torn down buildings, uprooted trees, and even destroyed tanks, but I've always been able to exercise the willpower necessary to keep it from hurting anything…human. But now, I—I feel that I'm losing that hold. As time goes by, the Hulk gets slowly more powerful, and as it does, I lose the shallow grip I have on it. Soon, I will have no control whatever to dictate what my own gamma-irradiated body will do. And when that day comes…who knows what terror will be wrought."


	3. Chapter 3

Marvel Comics: Prosperity—Chapter 3

"Down, Iron Man!" Thor said, throwing his hammer at a dogwood tree-turned-Skrull that tried to grab Iron Man from behind. The hammer hit before the Skrull could defend himself, and he went down. Iron Man pivoted and fired his repulsor at another nearby Skrull, sending him through the wall. Thor had retrieved his hammer by then and was swinging it furiously at the Skrulls that tried to surround him.

Just then, Giant Man appeared near him, having enlarged from his Ant Man size. He pulled one of the Skrulls away from Thor, and then turned around to see one of the aliens shifting its shape into a giant dragon, even taller than he was. Giant Man didn't waste a moment, grabbing it by the neck in an attempt to wrestle it to the ground. But the Skrull was strong, and resisted him fiercely.

"I'll help you out, Giant Man," Iron Man, moving to assist his comrade. But as he did, a Skrull shot him in the back with a blaster. Iron Man rocked forward, but his armor took the brunt of the blow. He turned around and saw that the Skrull had turned into some kind of alien plant, whose long, spiny tendrils were already wrapping around Iron Man.

Left to himself, Giant Man was still putting up a tremendous fight against the dragon Skrull. Suddenly, however, just when he was about to succumb, a small concussion bomb went off in the dragon's face, breaking its concentration long enough for Giant Man to bring it down to the ground.

"Thanks, Wasp," he said, and then looked up to see a large, heavy bookcase falling toward him. Quickly he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pill, taking it to reduce himself to ant-size. "With my reduced stature, avoiding that bookcase is no trouble for me."

Thor, meanwhile, was fighting with heroic fury in the midst of a mob of Skrulls. With every swing of his hammer, he struck down one of the murderous aliens, but in a crowd of so many even he was beginning to be affected. "I cannot last forever," he thought, as he swung another knock-out blow. "But the son of Odin doth not run. I shall stand until the battle is ended, elsewise I shall fall forever."

Iron Man struggled to break free from the plant that had caught him in its tendrils, but found that he was unable to. "I've got to think," he said to himself, "This guy may look like a plant, but it's still just an alien, and he'll respond to electricity just like the rest of them. If I can reconfigure my suit of armor to give an electric charge over the whole body, it'll definitely do the trick. But I can't move. I've got to use the mental interface. Need to concentrate." The hideous plant continued to constrict, attempting to crush Iron Man and his armored shell. But then a burst of electricity fired from Iron Man's suit, and the Skrull fell back, reverting to its humanoid form. Iron Man ran forward and fired his repulsor at the mob around Thor, which quickly parted.

"Need a little breathing room, Thor?"

"I thank thee, Iron Man, for it was getting a little musty in such a confined space. Now," Thor said, raising his hammer once again, "I profess that this struggle shall soon be at an end!" A Skrull pulled out a laser weapon and shot it at Thor, but he blocked it easily with his hammer. "Have at ye, fool!" He yelled, hitting the Skrull with an easy throw. Behind him, Giant Man picked up two aliens and slammed their heads together, knocking them out.

As Thor had professed, the battle did not last long after that. Giant Man and the Wasp, returned to normal size, soon joined Iron Man and Thor in the middle of the room.

"Well, that was quite a throw-down," Iron Man said.

"Thank you both for answering my call for assistance," Giant Man said, as he surveyed the piled bodies of unconscious Skrulls. "I definitely couldn't have handled this alone."

"It is always a pleasure to fight on the side of two men so valiant as thou," Thor replied, "And one so comely as the Wasp," which made the female crimefighter blush. "However, I wish greatly to return to my home on Asgard, and I plead that I be not further delayed."

"You're leaving?" Iron Man asked, astonished.

"Aye, I shall attempt it, though it seems I am ceaselessly detained whenever I make the effort. My heart is at ease, though, knowing this world rests on quite capable shoulders."  
"It's just as well," Giant Man said somberly. "I've been thinking of cutting down on the adventures myself. I think I can do some real good for the world if I concentrate on my scientific research."

"But you're doing good now," Iron Man said.

"I know. But there's a lot of good to be done in a lot of different ways. I'm just not sure this is the way I was meant to do it."

"I guess it's over then," Iron Man said resignedly. "Four of the strongest, most capable heroes on the planet, join to fight crime no longer. Oh well, I guess it couldn't last forever. I'm not much for long goodbyes, so I'm gonna be leaving." With nothing else, Iron Man walked through the door, and then fired his boot jets, launching him into the air.

"Methinks he has the right idea," Thor said, also making his way out. "Fare thee well, Giant Man, and mayest thou meet success in whatever endeavor thou undertaketh."

* * *

"It is with no small amount of hesitancy that I say this now, though in my heart I know that I am doing the right thing. The five of you have proven yourselves equal to all I have been able to teach you and so much more; that is why I now officially declare you, my students the X-Men, graduates of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. You are, of course, youngsters no longer, and are more than capable of charting your own path in life. I hope that I have given you the experience you need to make the best decisions in a harsh world. Now, go out into the world, my former students, and make a difference."

The X-Men, dressed in dark blue and yellow gowns, took their caps from their heads and tossed them in the air. Bobby Drake reached out his hand and sent out a ball of ice that knocked Scott's cap down.

"Oh, you want to play that way, huh?" Scott asked as he raised his glasses, sending a powerful optic blast at Bobby's cap. Professor Xavier wheeled down the ramp from the podium where he had given his speech.

"I'm going to miss this," he said, a bittersweet smile on his face. The X-Men gathered around him one last time.

"I thought you were going to get a new class and start this all over again, Prof."

"That was my intention, Scott, however, after all we've been through, and everything that's happened in our time here, I feel that I am simply not able to handle the strain of another class. It seems you five will be this school's only graduating class."

"The end of an era, huh?"

"It had to end sooner or later. You can't be students forever. Now is the time for you to spread your wings and find your own place."

"I'm gonna miss this a lot. I really felt like I was doing some good here."

"Then keep doing good, Scott; in any way you can."


	4. Chapter 4

Marvel Comics: Prosperity—Chapter 4

"Bucky—Bucky, look out!" The man said, springing forward with horror almost bordering on insanity. His eyes opened wide, he grasped his surroundings, and snapped back with a groan. "He's dead. Bucky's gone forever." The man that had once been a hero turned and saw the man that had rescued him. "What happened? Where am I? Where's the enemy?"

"The enemy is long gone," Namor replied. "The war is ended."  
"What? How? How long have I been gone?"

"Almost twenty years."

Captain America studied Namor's face in more detail. "You do look older."

"Yes, I am older. Time and events have aged me no small amount. Many of my people have been killed by the carelessness of the surface-dwellers. Had you been anyone else, I would have left you forever in the ice."

"In the ice? What happened?"

"It appears you were somehow frozen in a chunk of ice, and lost to a state of suspended animation. You may have stayed that way forever had I not found you and thawed you out slowly."

"It must have been the super-soldier serum that kept me alive in a coma until the ice put me in that suspended state."

"Perhaps," Namor said, raising an eyebrow. "It is all the same to me. You are free now; we shall go our separate ways."

"But, Namor, what about the Invaders?"

"The Invaders?" Namor responded, almost laughing, "The Invaders disbanded long ago. My alliance with the surface world is similarly ended. I have my people to attend to, and I must see to that now. You are, perhaps, the only surface-dweller for which I hold any respect. I hope that you prosper in your new life, and I honestly desire that we should never have to cross paths in the future…as enemies." The Atlantean waved in a kind of salute, and then dove into the water, leaving Captain America wondering how he would get back to civilization.

_About a month later…_

Warren Worthington, the erstwhile Angel, lounged behind a desk, considering the tasks for that day. It was essentially the same as every day; meetings, paperwork, giving speeches and putting in face time with possible business partners. Some people would find such a life monotonous, though Warren's vast fortune might make up for it. Still, he liked the stability. He had joined the X-Men to find excitement and to harness his mutant power, but he had discovered in his time there that all the excitement he needed was anticipating what kind of coffee his secretary would brew. As for his mutant power, he used it to get around the city faster.

* * *

Tony Stark stood in his workshop, polishing the armor of Iron Man. It had been almost a week since he had even taken the suit out, and he was getting the feeling that such dry spells would become fairly regular. There just didn't seem to be that many threats that needed his unique kind of attention. He walked out of the room and met his personal assistant.

"Mr. Stark," she began, "there's another group that's asking for 'the tour.' Shall I notify Mr. Milford?"

"Uh, you know, I don't think so. It's looking like I'll be able to handle this one personally."

"Alright. Is there any other business?"

"I don't know," Stark said roguishly. "I think I might get into politics."

_The Baxter Building…_

The Fantastic Four, one of the generation's first superhero teams, had settled in the large top floor laboratory of the building, after having come from one of their public appearances.

"I don't understand why people get so worked up about seeing us," the Thing said between puffs of his cigar. "We haven't even done that much lately."

"It's kinda weird, isn't it?" Johnny Storm replied. "We'd been working our tails off for a while there, and now it looks like there's just no more to do."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure, Johnny," Reed answered placidly. "These things sort of go in waves. Low tides and high tides, that sort of thing. I think we'll have plenty to do before you know it."

"I hope so. If this keeps up any longer, being a superhero could become downright boring."

* * *

In a place far away from earth, perhaps not even in the same dimension, a man small in stature, yet commanding a deep respect, sat transfixed on a collage of screens in front of him. The screens, hanging in the air like holographic images, showed many things on many worlds and many times. But the one he was focused on was that of Earth.

"What is happening that has you so mesmerized, Uatu?"

"It is the planet Earth, Curious One. The Earth of universe six-one-six."

"And what is happening there?"

"The heroes are beginning to disband. They seem to feel that all their problems have already been dealt with; that they have conquered."

"But they are wrong?"

"Yes, Curious One," Uatu said, calling up some of the screens on the outer edges of his monitors. The screens showed pictures of people; many of them in the far reaches of deep space. "For a moment, all of the worst villains have been suppressed. But there are so many worse dangers to come. The master of magnetism will only grow stronger and more influential. Bruce Banner is losing control of the monster inside of him. The Sinister Syndicate will return eventually. There are many threats outside of the planet about which the heroes do not have the slightest idea. The Negative Zone dictators Annihilus and Blastaar. Kang the time-traveling conquerer. Galactus the eater of worlds. Thanos, the mad titan. Ultron will be rebuilt, and Bolivar Trask will complete his Sentinel project."

"So many dangers," the Curious One echoed, awestruck.

"Yes, so many. One of this planet's own writers once said that 'Security is mortal's chiefest enemy.' These mortals feel very secure indeed, but soon, their security may prove their undoing.

"It is interesting," Uatu continued, calling up another screen to display the troubles underwent by the JLA, JSA, Titans and other heroes of that Earth. "Here we see another version of Earth; the heroes feel that they are entering a terrible dark age. In fact, the situation will soon improve, and will continue to do so. Here, on this Earth, the heroes feel that they are entering a time of great prosperity, while in truth they will be facing their greatest trial."

"Will they be equal to it?"

"They will not be, if they continue to go their separate ways. The farther they go from each other, the more each one of them will have to carry on his own. They must join together to face these threats. If they do not, this universe may indeed be entered into a very dark age. But if they do, they may yet weather these storms."

**_The heroes band together and face the coming storms in Marvel Comics: Teamwork, coming soon!_**


End file.
